Footnotes

Most Helpful Positive Review

Mar 22, 2003

Basically good recipe, had to change some things though. I used heavy cream instead of half n half, and added at least 1 cup shredded cheese at the end to thicken it up a little. Also, I've had bad experiences with putting bacon in something and cooking it for a long time (turns back to mush!). So I cooked the bacon, drained it on paper towel and refrigerated it. I then sauteed the onions in the grease and added those in the beginning. Then I used the crumbled bacon in the individual bowls when served. You definetely have to add more spices, too...

Most Helpful Critical Review

Jul 23, 2003

This tasted good, but I was a little disappointed with the consistancy (only because I like potato soup to be thick). I would suggest using baking or yukon gold potatoes rather than red. Overall it was alright, I was just looking for something else. Thank you Shirley.

I like this recipe, but like others I modified it some to better suit my family's tastes. Almost seems a shame to review it based on my modifications because if I had all the ingredients on hand to make it as is, I am sure it would have been great as well. That being said, I used 5 cups chicken broth instead of the broth/water mix, substituted black pepper and reduced dill to 1/8 tsp, substituted 2% milk for the half and half cream and omitted the evaporated milk altogether. I also fried the bacon separately from the onion, sauteing the onion instead in olive oil with about a 1 c of carrots and a stalk of celery. Then I added both the bacon and the vegetables to the slowcooker together for step 2. I did also puree about 1/4 of the soup and about a 1/4 cup of potato flakes to thicken it some before step 3. Family loved it, particularly the children. As far as cooking the bacon in the slowcooker for that amount of time, I didn't experience any problems as far as the soup being greasy or overpowered by the taste. The bacon was soft though. If you prefer crispy bacon in your soup definitely wait to add it.

I wasn't so sure this would be a four star recipe as I was making it, but it turned out well in the end. I wish I had followed another reviewer's advice and fried the bacon first, then set it aside and sauteed the onions in the bacon grease. Cooking them at the same time didn't work so well because the onions were done well before the bacon, leading to burned onions, which in turn led to brown soup. Next time I'd add the onions at the beginning, but wait to serve the bacon with each individual bowl. It gets soggy being in the broth. I also had to bump up the slow cooker to high for awhile because the potatoes just weren't getting soft enough. After I added the flour, half and half and evaporated milk, I expected the soup to get really thick and creamy, but it stayed pretty thin, even after adding more flour and bumping the slow cooker back up to high again. So I transferred everything to a pot on the stove and cooked it at a little bit higher temperature, being careful not to boil it. Even then, it never did get quite as thick as other potato soups I've had. The flavor did turn out great, after adding more salt and dill weed. My husband and I both really liked it, and it's not as fattening as other potato soups, especially using fat-free half and half and fat-free evaporated milk. I'd make this recipe again, but I'd probably do it all on the stove instead of in the slow cooker.

This is a great recipe. I used it when we did family poker night with my in-laws. I followed other user suggestions and did not add the bacon until the very end and also substituted heavy cream for half and half. I sauteed my onion in butter instead of bacon grease so there would not be brown flecks in my soup. Also, we all added a generous spoonful of cheddar cheese before eating. This is like a giant stuffed baked potato in a bowl!!!! Everyone loved it and there were no leftovers!

This made an excellent tasting soup. I didn't have condensed chicken broth, so I used 2 cans of non-condensed chicken broth + 1 chicken bouillon cube instead (still added the listed 2 cups of water). When the potatoes were done...blended some of them in the blender along with the flour and half-and-half mixture, and part of the evaporated milk. Then just put that back in the crockpot, along with the rest of the evaporated milk for 30 more minutes. Added a little more salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder to taste...and served with shredded cheddar and "Real Bacon Bits" in a jar, on the side. Also, wanted to speed it up a little, so cooked it for 3 hours on high, then 2 hours 20 minutes on Low in a 6-1/2 qt crockpot. Thanks for this great recipe Shirley! Will definitely be making it again.

This recipe is so great! It's thick, creamy, and very filling. I am going to halve the recipe next time for just two people. I used the slow cooker for mine, with no problem... I even had it cooking on high for 3.5 hours without realizing it and thought I ruined it, but didn't thankfully. I don't know why/how other people had runny, watery soup but I had no problem. I didn't cook the onions beforehand, I just put them in the cooker raw. I also didn't put in the bacon either, I saved it to garnish when we were ready to eat (I used ready-to-eat bacon which you can heat up in the microwave for however many you need/want - so convenient). Also added shredded cheese as a garnish too. I put a couple pinches of crushed red pepper flakes and a garlic clove minced to add more zing and flavor. I used lowfat evaporated milk and regular half and half. I also used reduced sodium chicken broth as well. The grocery store didn't have large potatoes unbagged... so I used 8 red-skinned, medium-sized potatoes instead. I also mashed half the potatoes as well before I added the creamy mixture. Mm Mm Mm. Thank you for sharing! It was perfect for a cool, fall day!

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.